hornbeck



Feb. 16, 1932. F. E. HoRNBEcK Filed-Jan. 7, 1930 ATTORNEYS WITNESSESMaf/7%@ of the wind.

f compensate for variation in the Patented Feb. 1.6, 1.932

FRANK E. HORNBECK, FOREST CIT;Y,=PEN1 \`I'SYLVANIA.

SIGN

Application'mea v.rmmary 7, 1930. serial no. 419.116.

This invention relates to signs, and has particular reference. to amoun'tingfor outdoor signs which are subject to the action Theinvention'broadly comprehendsin a sign of the Vcharacter .set forth,means for mounting or supporting the sign board 'or panel to turnon avertical axis in response to wind pressure whereby to relievek themounting or support ofstresses or strains which might .otherwise tend todamage the sign or its mounting. ,s As a further object, the inventioncomprehends in a sign of the character specified, means constituting apart of the mounting which functions to gravitationallyreturn the signto a predetermined norma position after the wind dies down. j

As a further feature, the invention aims to provide in aturnably mountedsign, an adjustable connection between the sign panel or Vboard yand itsmounting for kvarying the preponderance of the area which is disposed onone side lof the axis ofthe mounting to wind pressure due to thelocalit-y at which the sign ris placed kor the season of the year atwhich. high windsoccur;

Other objects 'of the 'invention reside in the particular constructionof the mounting,

which it may 'j the general efficiency derived therefrom;

with reference Ato the Vmanner in which 'the elements of the mountingy'are guided in their relative kmovement and manner in which the sign"panel isremovably 1 carried to permit of its being lettered at a' pointremote from the vinstallation of the sign.

Otherobjects reside in the simplicity of construction ofthe sign, ltheVeconomy with be produced and installed and With the yabovev recited and`other objects in view, reference is :had .to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, in

b which there is exhibited one example or embodiment of the invention,while the claims define the actual scope of the same.

,In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sign constructed and mounted inaccordance with the invention.

with reference to the Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view there?through taken approximately on the line indicated at 2*2 in I1 `iggure 1. v

igure 3 isa fragmentary vertical sectional View illustrating theyadjustable connection between the sign and its mounting'. Y

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the means forretaining the sign panel in Vits fram i' Figure 5 is an enlargedhorizontal view takenl approximately yontheline 5%5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal'sectional view takenfapproximatelyon the line Gf of Figure 2l Figure .7 is a planview of theball race.

Figure n 8 is ya detail perspective View of the retaining strip forholding the sign panel in the frame. p y

Referringto the 4drawings by .characters of reference, l0-designates'asign panel or board which maybe of anydesire construction and which ispreferably lof flat rectangular lconligurationandremovably carried by aframe s to permit of the the f sign there` being provided l1 lwhich isopen at one end emplacementor removal of through, a retaining strip l2 yfor .closing the yopen end of the frame. In practice, the retainingstrip .12 `ispreferably held in place by means of threaded studs 13carried by the frame which engage through apertures 14: of .theretaining strip, .nuts l5 being 'applied to the threaded studs. The

means for mounting the yframe `and panel for v turning movement on avertical axis consists of ,a stationary pedestal'l, which is ,preferablyof hollow tubular construction,` suitably carried by a base 1,7 whichmay beembedded inthe ground. rThe pedestal 16 yrotatably supportsajtrunnion ,18 which isalso preferably ofy tubular cons -ruction andwhich telescopically lits over thevupper end of the pedestal l1'6 and.which truiinion is ,provided with an inclined lower end 1,9 designedL.to reston ball bearings 2O which are carried by afball race21-sup`ported inan inclined position on the .inclinedupperend22 ofthestationary ytubular router* shell 23 which surrounds7 the lower'portionof lthe pedestal and is held against rotation withrespect to thedownwardly over the upper of set screws 24. The

pedestal by means has telescopiupper end of the trunnion 18 cally fittedthereover a cap 25 which is formed with spaced parallel upstandingflanges 26 and 27 adapted to snugly receive the lower portion or rail ofthe frame 11. The flange 27 is provided with longitudinally extendingslots 28 through which set screws 29 extend, the inner ends of the setscrews being threadedly anchored in the lower portion or rail ot theframe 11. The cap 25 is further provided with a boss 30 which is formedwith a recess 3l receiving a threaded stem 32 which extends through adepending apertured lug 33 on the lower portion or rail of the frame 11.By loosening the set screws 29 and turning the threaded stem 32, it isapparent that the frame 11 and panel 1() are longitudinally adjustablewith respect to the axis on which they turn, thereby varyingproportionately the areas of the panel which are disposed on oppositesides of the axis. Binding nuts 34 and 35 are threaded on the stem 32 toengage with the opposite sides of the lug 33 to assist in retaining thepanel and its frame in their adjusted relation. The cap 25 is secured tothe trunnion 18 for turning movement therewith by means of set screws36. It will also be observed that due to the inclined lower end 19 ofthe trunnion, that turning movement ot the trunnion under the force ofthe wind pressure exerted on the panel will elevate the trunnion andpanel to ofler some resistance to the wind pressure and to cause thepanel and trunnion to gravitationally return to a normal predeterminedposition. In order to guide the trunnion with respect to the pedestal16, radially disposed screws 37 are threaded through the trunnion 18,and said screws have mounted in their inner ends anti-friction balls 38which bear against the outer periphery of the upper end of the pedestal.The screws obviously are adjustable to compensate for wear and areretained in their adjusted position by binding nuts 39. The ball bearingscrews 37 therefore serve to guide the trunnion with respect to thepedestal, both in a vertical and horizontal direction. In order tocover, protect and conceal the joint between the trunnion 18 and theshell 23, a sleeve 40 is provided which is telescopically arranged overthe lower end of the trunnion and secured thereto by set screws 41. Thelower end of the sleeve extends portion of the shell 23, as clearlyshown in Figure 2 of the drawings. In order to retain a quantity oflubricant between the pedestal 16, the shell 23 and the lower portion ofthe trunnion, a retaining i'ing 42 is positioned between the shell 23and the pedestal at a point slightly below the upper end of the shell.

From the foregoing, it will thus be seen that a sign has been devisedwhich is mounted in such manner as to turn with the wind by disposing agreater portion or preponderance of its area at one side of the verticalaxis on which it is mounted, in order to relieve the sign and itsmounting of undue strain from excessive wind pressure, which mightotherwise tend to injure the same. It will be further observed that themounting insures the normal positioning of the sign in a predeterminedposition when the wind dies down or lacks sufficient force to maintainthe same in its turned elevated position.

What is claimed is:

1. In an outdoor sign, posed in a vertical plane, a vertical hollowcylindrical trunnion by the upper end of which the sign is carried, andmeans for supporting the trunnion for rotation on a vertical axis,including a vertical stationary cylindrical pedestal over which thehollow trunnion is arranged and circumferentially spaced elementsextending radially through the trunnion and provided with anti-frictionterminals bearing against the periphery of the pedestal.

2. In an outdoor sign, a sign panel disposed in a vertical plane, avertical hollow cylindrical trunnion, by the upper end of which the signpanel is carried, and means for supporting the trunnion for rotation ona vertical axis including a vertical stationary cylindrical pedestalover which the hollow trunnion is arranged and circumferentially spacedelements extending radially and adjustably through the trunnion andprovided with antifriction elements bearing ery of the pedestal forguiding the trunnion in its movements.

3. In a sign, a hollow cylindrical trunnion rotatable on a verticalaxis, a sign anel adjustably mounted on the upper en trunnion for thepurpose of presenting a gbreater area of the sign on one side of itsaxis t an on the other, an upstanding cylindrical pedestal constitutinga fixed support over a sign panel diswhich the trunnion is arranged andintercoacting means on the support and trunnion for causing the signpanel and trunnion to be elevated upon turning movement thereof andallowing said panel and trunnion engaging to gravitationally return to anormal position in the absence of wind pressure, and means for guidingsaid trunnion in its axial and rotary movements, said means consistingof circumferentiall and axially spaced elements extending radia lyhaving antifriction terminals bearing against the periphery of thepedestal.

FRANK E. HORNBECK.

against the periph- T f' of said i, Q

through the trunnion and '.A .i

Sli

